Fifth-wheel.



G. B. NOCHER.

FIFTH WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1911.

Patented June 23,191 1 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FOLUMBIA PLANOURAPH COHWASHINGTON, D. c.

G. E. NOGHER. FIFTH WHEEL.

APPLIQATION rum) JAN. 9, 1911.

1,101,321, 7 4 Patented June 23, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHIN6TDN, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFTCE.

GUST'AVE ERNEST NOCHER, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

FIFTH-WHEEL.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GUSTAVE Ennnsr Noonnn, residing at 95 Rue dAlleray, Parls, France, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fifth-Wheels, which improvements are fully set forth in the following specification.

In light carriages such as coupes, victorias, etc., and heavy carriages such as drays, it is known to connect the fore carriage upon which is exerted the pull of the horses, to the body of the carriage by means of a polepin which permits rotation of the fore carriage relatively to the body, to facilitate driving around corners. In that part of the vehicle are situated two segment members in light vehicles and two complete ring members in heavy vehicles, which members can slide one on the other on rotation of the fore carriage relative to the body. The lower member is connected to the body by means of the pole-pin. If the polepin should break, complete separation of the fore carriage from the body of the vehicle would take place and practice has shown that the result of such an accident is usually very serious.

The present invention has for object improvements by means of which the above drawbacks will be obviated and the pole-pin completely eliminated.

The construction of fore carriage with the improvements according to the present invention is essentially characterized by two segment members or two complete ring members according as it is a case of a light or a heavy vehicle, which members instead of merely sliding one on the other penetrate one into the other under certain conditions hereinafter described, the engagement of the two members being such that under normal conditions of traction they cannot become separated from each other. The fore carriage is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a view from above of the ring member attached to the body of the vehicle. Fig. 2 is a view from above of the ring member connected to the fore carriage proper. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale of the two engaging ring members in position. Fig. 1 is a plan View of the two superposed ring members,

each occupying the respective position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the two ring members superposed,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 9, 1911.

Patented June 23, 191 1.

Serial No. 601,581.

the one on the fore carriage, that is to say the lower member having been turned through 180 relatively to the upper member as compared with the position shown in Fig. 1.

The upper ring member, which will be termed the vehicle ring member for simplicity of description, has the whole of its upper surface made fiat. On the lowersurface of said ring member are formed flat portions at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and at a, b, 0, cl, 6 ribbed flanges as shown at a in Fig. 3. These ribbed flanges may be of various lengths if desired. For example, in Fig. 4, the ribs a, c and 2 are shown substantially of the same length, while the ribs 5, d, are substantially of the same length, but shorter than ribs a, c and 2. These ribs are so spaced around the ring member that they form retaining surfaces and draft devices substantially all around the wheel, leaving substantially equal spaces 3 4 between flange c and flanges 6, (Z. Two spaces 2 5 are left between flanges (Z, 6, respectively. A large space 1 is left between flanges a, c. It will be observed that the space 1 is about equal to the sum of the spaces 2 3 4 and 5 and that this space 1 is positioned substantially opposite to the flange c, the length of which flange being substantially the same as the length of the space 1 These flanges are so positioned around the wheel that when the vehicle member and fore-carriage member are assembled they sustain strain and the draft is distributed around the wheel. The fore carriage ring member on the other hand, as shown in Fig. 2, has at 1 2 3 1 5 a slotted groove whose breadth m (Fig. 3) is smaller than the breadth m of the flange of one of the ribs a, b, 0, d, e of the vehicle ring member. It is to be understood, as shown in section in Fig. 3, that the groove has the breadth m at its upper portion and at its lower part is increased in breadth to the extent m for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The fore-carriage ring member has at a, b, c, d, e a groove of breadth m throughout its whole depth, that is to say that these grooves are equal in width to the grooves 1, 2, 3, 4;, 5 at their bases but are of greater breadth at their upper portions than said last mentioned grooves.

If the vehicle ring member, as illustrated in Fig. l, is exactly superposed on the fore carriage ring member as shown in Fig. 2, it is evident that the flanged ribs (1, b, 0, d

e, on the former will penetrate into the grooves a, b, cl, 0, respectively, on the fore carriage ring member. The above described superposition and mutual engagement of the two members having taken place, if the fore carriage member is rotated through 180 relatively to the vehicle ring member, the expanded groove a of the fore carriage ring member will no longer be opposite the flanged rib a of the vehicle. ring member, but the parts l, cl, 5 of the fore carriage ring member will now be opposite said rib a on the vehicle ring member. Under these conditions, the rib a will no longer be able to leave the fore carriage ring member because the parts 4, 5, have retaining edges at their upper portions. The same will be the case for the flanged ribs 6, 0, (Z, 6 of the vehicle ring member which, owing to the relative position in the fore carriage ring member of the retaining edges and the expanded grooves, will be held in engagement in the parts having the groove with retaining edges. The maintaining of the vehicle ring member in the fore carriage ring member is assured in every position which the latter may assume with respect to the vehicle ring member, except in the position shown in Fig. 4, viz., that in which the engagement of the two members is effected.

To mount a fore carriage in position when constructed according to the present invention, it is only necessary, as will be readily seen, to apply the fore carriage to the vehicle, care being taken to turn it through 180, that is to say, to place the right hand wheel to the left and the left hand wheel to the right. This being done the engage ment of the two ring members is effected in the manner hereinbefore described, and the fore carriage is then again turned through 180 to return the right hand wheel to the right and the left hand wheel to the left. The fore carriage and the vehicle are thus interconnected in a positive manner and the fore carriage may be given any suitable inclination when driving around corners without fear of breaking the connection; this connection being only destroyed when the fore carriage is in a position at 180 to its normal one. Such a position could however, never be assumed during the drawing of the carriage.

It is obvious that the form of the grooves in the one ring member and of the flanged ribs in the other may be modified in any desired manner. In the same way the grouping of the flanged ribs on the one member and the grooves on the other may be made in any suitable manner as long as disengagement of the two members is impossible in any position except the one in which the fore carriage is turned through 180 from its normal position with respect to the body of the vehicle.

Claims.

1. The combination, with a vehicle body and fore carriage, of a plurality of elongated flanged ribs projecting downwardly from said body and arranged in an are, said ribs being located at intervals of less than a quadrant around the entire arc, and a pair of facing flanges projecting upwardly from the fore carriage and interlocking with saidribs, said flanges having notches corresponding to the ribs and located so as to permit said ribs to be engaged and disengaged only when the fore carriage is turned 180 degrees with respect to its normal position.

2. The combination, with a vehicle body and fore carriage, of a plurality of. flanged ribs projecting downwardly from said body and arranged in a circle, said ribs being located at intervals at less than a quadrant of a circle, the combined length of said ribs extending substantially twothirds of the circumference of the body, and a pair of fac ing flanges projecting upwardly from the fore carriage and interlocking with said ribs, said flanges having notches correspond ing to the ribs and located so as to permit said ribs to be engaged and disengaged only when the fore carriage is turned 180 degrees with respect to its normal position.

3. The combination with a vehicle body and fore carriage, of rotary interlocking connection between said body and fore carriage, consisting of two circular members, one superposed upon the other, one member secured to the body and having flanged ribs arranged thereon at intervals around the entire members to leave spaces of less than a quadrant, the other member secured to the fore carriage and having a pair of facing flanges to interlock with said ribs, said flanges having notches corresponding. to the ribs and located so as to permit said ribs to be engaged and disengaged only when the fore carriage is turned 180 degrees with respect to its normal position.

4:. In a fifth wheel, a vehicle member having a series of downwardly projecting flanged ribs, one on the vehicle member, when in normal position, in alinement with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle member, two others of said ribs located in front of a line drawn through the center of the wheel at right angles to said longitudinal axis and on opposite sides of said line, and two others of said ribs positioned on opposite sides of the member and in rear of said central line, said vehicle member cooperating with a forecarriage member having a pair of facing flanges projecting upwardly and interlocking with said ribs, said flanges having notches corresponding to the ribs.

5.. In a fifth wheel, a vehicle member having a downwardly projecting flanged rib in alinement with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle when the part-s are in their normal position, substantially oppositely positioned flanged ribs in front of a line drawn through the center of the wheel at right angles to said longitudinal axis, and substantially oppositely positioned flanged ribs in rear of the central line of the member, said vehicle member cooperating with a fore-carriage member having flanges adapted to interlock with said ribs, whereby when power of energy is applied to the wheel the outer wall of the flanges presses against the plurality of flanges in the rear of the central line of the wheel, and the inner wall of the flanges presses against the flanged rib in front of said central line.

6. In a fifth wheel, a vehicle member having a series of flanged ribs, the combined length of said ribs extending for a distance greater than two-thirds the circumference of the vehicle member, and a forecarriage member having a substantially central channel and a series of flanges extending over a portion of said channel to produce notches on the foreecarriage member corresponding to the ribs of the vehicle member, said flanges and ribs being so positioned on their respective members that said members may be engaged and disengaged only when the two members are in a predetermined position.

7. In a fifth wheel, a vehicle member having a series of depending ribs, a plurality of said ribs being of one length While others of said ribs are of a difi'erent length, said ribs being so positioned on the member and with reference to each other that a space is left between two of the ribs substantially equal to the length of the greater of said ribs, and a channeled fore-carriage member having a series of flanges with notches on said member corresponding substantially to the ribs of the vehicle member, whereby said vehicle member and fore-carriage member may be interlocked at all times except when in predetermined position with reference to each other.

8. In a fifth wheel, a vehicle member hav ing a series of depending T-shaped ribs, a plurality of said ribs being of one length and a plurality of other ribs each of a length different from said first named ribs, said ribs being so positioned on the vehicle member that space is left equal to the length of the greater of said ribs and smaller spaces are left between each of the other ribs, and a channeled fore-carriage member having a series of oppositely positioned flanges of a length substantially equal to the length of the spaces of the vehicle member, said flanges being so positioned on the fore-carriage member that notches are formed for the accommodation of each of said ribs.

9. In a fifth wheel, a vehicle member having a series of Tshaped ribs so positioned on the vehicle member that various spaces are left between the several ribs, and a channeled fore-carriage member having a series of oppositely positioned flanges of a length substantially equal to the length of the spaces of the vehicle member, said flanges being so positioned on the fore-carriage member as to produce two oppositely positioned small spaces, two intermediate spaces substantially twice the length of the small spaces, and a large space substantially equal in length to that of the other four spaces.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUSTAVE ERNEST NOCHER.

Witnesses:

EMILE SEDRET, H. C. Coxn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

